Is the Dark Knight (read: new and improved Batman) really George W. Bush with a cape?

I don’t rightly know, nor did I even stop to think about it after I saw Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Andrew Klavan over at The Wall Street Journal seems to think so, however.

Taking ’service’ to another level (see the title of this post), Klavan argues that Bruce Wayne is a reflection (read: I think it’s faint) of “W” (read: drunk party boy, son of privilege, and out-to-lunch executive falling asleep during important meetings).

I enjoy reading interesting perspective and if you stop and think about the film’s release (read: the timing of its delivery) just a few months before one of the more historically significant elections of our time, he may be on to something.  Aside from both of them starting with the letter ‘B’, some may argue that it’s a fair stretch.  Others…not.

On the flip side of the I-am-not-here-to-get-into-a-political-debate-coin (no two-face reference intended…I’m not that corny), maybe we should stop searching for controversy where it really doesn’t belong and enjoy the film for what it is and just accept that the “war on terror” overtones are simply intended to give the film some contemporary resonance and take Batman into the 21st century.

Two quotes from the movie for you to think about, though which strangely enough (to Klavan’s point) painted a ’scapegoat/martyr’ picture in my head:

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain

He has to run away – because we have to chase him

Special thanks to the IBA for the photo

darren